japanese defense officials say they learned of the launch from u.s. missile warning systems around 9:51 japan time. it was confirmed around 10:01 by self defense forces radar which then tracked the rocket. the ministry says it decided not to fire its patriot defense missiles because the rocket was confirmed to pass over okinawa toward the pacific ocean. the officials say there was no possibility of debris falling on japanese territory. south korea's defense ministry says the rocket that north korea launched on wednesday could have reached as far as the u.s. west coast. >> translator: the rocket launched today must be a long-range missile with an estimated range of about 10,000 kilometers. >> kim said the launch was aimed at furthering the development of intercontinental ballistics missiles. the launch had officials scrambling to catch up. north korean authorities announced monday they were extending the launch window by a week because of problems. south korean officials said their intelligence suggested a delay. they said north korean crews removing t